Plaer Vegetarià

Vegetarian, local and organic in Manacor

We are struck by the sweet touch of cinnamon, which rounds off the dish, makes the flavors intermingle in harmony in each bite and seduce our taste buds.

Author: Aina Coll

Photographer: Jaume Oliver

Near Manacor station is Plaer Vegetarià, a restaurant that is already essential in its own right in Mallorca, which welcomes us with a clear and direct message: "we serve food made with local produce, organic farming and fair trade". It is impossible to resist such a statement.

As soon as we walk into the restaurant, simple but welcoming, we read the menu and the suggestions of the day on a blackboard that decorates one of the walls. We settle down at one of the wooden tables and a friendly waiter, who serves us throughout the meal, tells us that, in addition to the usual dishes, today they have prepared battered seitan with panko, rice with mushroom sauce and curried chickpeas with long jasmine-scented rice.

As we watch the coming and going of customers who seem to be regulars – these things can be observed in the noticeable familiarity and closeness between diners and staff – we read through the menu and opt for two portions of Bao bread stuffed with seitan and carrot to start, and red rice risotto and walnut and mushroom burger with baked potatoes and salad as main courses. To drink, we order water and organic cola.

We dig into the baos, which arrive grilled with a nice spongy texture and an abundant filling of minced “meat” that surprises us with its texture, very successful. A bite is enough to tell that they cook with quality products that taste is a non-negotiable.

We move on to our mains. The red rice risotto, cooked with mushrooms and capers and topped with cinnamon comes in a very generous serving. Its texture is creamy and the doneness is just right. Undoubtedly, we are struck by the sweet touch of cinnamon, which makes the flavors intermingle in harmony in each bite and seduce our taste buds. 

The burger, served on pita bun, is accompanied by baked potatoes and a small portion of salad. The burger is huge, it's impossible to eat it whole, so we opted to cut it in half. Very juicy and tender, the flavour is strong and characteristic, but in just the right way. By no means overpowering.

To top it off, we can't resist the temptation to try a vegan cheesecake drizzled with strawberry jam and garnished with granola. The base, chopped biscuits, and the non-cheese melt in your mouth, smooth like silk. As we’ve got quite the sweet tooth, we also ordered two scoops of tangerine ice cream which, we must admit, excite us: the combination of acidity and sweetness is simply perfect. 

Plaer Vegetarià once again shows us that, with local and organic products, vegetarian dishes with interesting flavours can be created without the need to resort to any animal products. Fresh, organic and simple, but far from basic, its culinary proposal has satiated and enchanted us in equal parts.

Before saying goodbye to Manacor, a word of information for the curious who want to delve into the slow food philosophy: Plaer Vegetarià hosts workshops on nutrition and vegetarian cuisine. In line with their know-how, they do their bit paving the way towards a greener, fairer and more sustainable world. Just the way we like it.